Moving? Avoid change of address scams

If you're moving, beware of websites that charge you to change your address.

Thousands of people have fallen for them, paying upwards of $20 for the service.

"You can do that change of address directly with the postal service for only $1 online or come into your local post office and submit it in person for free," explained Frank Schissler, a US Postal Inspector.

The problem is, people often do a random search for "change of address" and wind up on one of these sites. They may look like they're connected to the US Postal Service, but looks can be deceiving.

"Your credit card is being charged anywhere from $29 to $39 dollars for them to change your address," Schissler said.

Consumers have complained about various sites, including changemyaddress.com. This website charges one dollar up front, then later tacks on additional fees for service.

"It is not illegal for them to charge these additional fees but people need to be aware, they don't need to pay them if people go directly to the postal service website," said Schissler.

Attorneys General from Ohio and Washington state filed a lawsuit against changemyaddress.com last year, and recently a judge in Ohio ordered the site to refund 16,000 consumers in Ohio.